February 5,
2010
MEMBER
EDITORIAL
Teacher
and secretary positions may be cut
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Superintendent Buckley, at the Goffstown School Board meeting on December 21, 2009, said she may need to cut secretary and teacher positions in order to meet the projected numbers cut by the Goffstown Budget Committee. Phil Pancoast stated he would like to see a student teacher ratio of fifteen to one. Cutting teachers does not work towards that goal.
So, where else could the Goffstown School Board make cuts? Well, cutting the SAU Budget, which has already been approved by the SAU Board is one place. Lorry Cloutier asked if that budget process can be reopened and reconsidered. Chairman Allard and Ms. Buckley answered in the negative. Well, if it is too late now, then the Goffstown School Board members may want to reconsider, for next year, that voting for an increase in the SAU Budget will tie their hands in working towards a 15:1 ratio in the classroom.
Also, five grievances have been filed this year by the Goffstown Education Association. This requires the town to pay attorneys’ fees. Thirty thousand dollars in attorneys’ fees have been paid out in this fiscal year to date with two arbitration hearings still pending. Eleven grievances were filed by the GEA last year. All those grievances were generated from the middle school.
Lastly, cutting administrative positions should be considered. For instance, at the middle school ten years ago there were three administrators to handle five grade levels. Today, there are only four grade levels at MVMS and fewer students but they have five administrators. Once an administrative position is added at the SAU or school levels, it is very difficult to have those positions cut. Evidently, cutting secretaries and teachers is more important than cutting administrators.
Citizens are anxiously waiting to hear from Stacy Buckley which positions, if any, will be cut.
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